Protecting our green space

Brampton Guardian More green space. Brampton is among six municipalities to recently move forward with plans aimed at placing more green space under the protection of provincial legislation, the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance (OGA) says. Brampton is among six municipalities to recently approve plans aimed at protecting valuable green space, the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance (OGA) says.

In a release sent out yesterday, OGA announced that six proposals to expand the Ontario Greenbelt received approval from municipal councils.

If successful, these proposals would connect more than 4.5 million additional residents to the provincial Greenbelt, an initiative that sets out to permanently protect precious lands from development. Toronto, Mississauga, Guelph, Hamilton, Oakville and Brampton are working on requests to expand the Greenbelt into their communities, according to OGA.

“As we celebrate the support for growing the Greenbelt, it is also important to note that we are entering a provincial election year and with that comes some uncertainty,” said Rick Smith, executive director of activist group Environmental Defence. “We know that there are groups out there like the Ontario Landowners Association who will be a voice in the next election for unmitigated sprawl and loss of protected green space. We are hoping that well in advance of the election, all parties, including the Progressive Conservatives, clarify their stand on the Greenbelt, and their relationship to the Ontario Landowners Association.”

Two years ago, the province released “Growing the Greenbelt,” a process whereby municipalities identify areas that could be added as protected countryside to the Greenbelt.

Since that time, OGA says local citizens’ groups and municipal councils have been working to expand the Greenbelt into their communities and build a tangible connection to local farmland and the greenspace that help to clean our air and water.

“We are heartened that this past year saw so many municipalities interested in connecting to the Greenbelt. The recent municipal elections have ushered in a number of new councilors and mayors who are keen to protect what is left of Ontario’s green space,” said Dan McDermott, director of Sierra Club Ontario, a member group of the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance. “We know how important this land is to the people of Ontario, and call on all candidates and parties running in the 2011 provincial elections to also show their support for this essential piece of Ontario’s environment.”